No Drone? No Problem. Introducing The Charters Pole.

This! This has got me drooling! I have always wanted a way to shoot above scenes and I’ve often used a monopod to try to accomplish that, but it has not been as tall as I wanted. I was even in the hardware store a few weeks ago looking for some kind of pole to get higher off the ground… and BOOM! This shows up in my inbox!

Good friend of planet5D Rodney Charters has worked with the good folks at Genus to release a must have accessory they’re calling the Charters Pole – and frankly I cannot wait to get my hands on one of these! And when I do, I’ll tell you all about it.

The only thing missing for me is an attachment for my iPhone so I can control the camera… but I’m sure I can find one of those out there somewhere.

Rodney, this is brilliant!

THE Charters Pole Launch

The Charters Pole (No Drone? No problem…)

No drone? No problem, thanks to ’24’ DP Rodney Charters and his professional cinematography and photography pole

Imagine being able to get your camera up in the air – without the complexities of a drone, a crane or cables. That is exactly what one of Hollywood’s best-known cinematographers Rodney Charters ASC did when he envisaged the Charters Pole.

The lightweight, hand-holdable carbon fibre pole he’s designed offers the kind of quality any serious photographer or cinematographer would expect along with maximum versatility of use. Ideal for stills, video or even virtual reality, it can carry a small camera, a light or a microphone up to a height of 6m. Attach a brushless gimbal camera for cinematic, aerial-like high shots and sweeping crane-like moves – without all the hassle and costs you would normally face. For longer duration shots or more permanent installs it can be mounted to many professional tripods or clamped to existing bars, railings and scaffolding.

“It opens up a whole new world of seeing,” says Rodney, who has shot Shameless, Dallas and Nashville and this year’s Michael Caine/Morgan Freeman heist movie Going In Style as well as the groundbreaking ’24’.

“When you’re standing on the ground all kinds of new angles become possible. At that height the world becomes quite different.”

He has found it invaluable on set already, using it where he would otherwise have to call in a Technocrane.

“The cost of that is in the thousands of dollars a day and it needs a team and the thing weighs 700 or 800 lbs. The fact you can do that with a pole that weighs 10lbs is very attractive,” he says.

Rodney says he has also found that it allowed him to get shots he would have struggled to capture otherwise, such as starting from a high angle and dipping down into a group of people very close to the camera.

“The smaller size of camera and the boom action allow you to be inside a character’s personal space, physically passing by someone inches from their ears. Generally our camera systems are so large that you couldn’t get that physically close to an actor” he explains.

Rodney, who has an extensive documentary background, says it also offers a invaluable way to get outstanding b-roll and establishing shots.

“You usually struggle to get up to a high elevation to find these kind of shots. It’s very easy to get your pole extended all the way up and get a series of shots,” he adds.

Everyone knows drones can get great shots, but they face increasingly stringent legislation: their use is limited, licensed or even banned in many areas.

For photographs, many modern cameras have a wifi remote function or built-in intervalometer. That means, he points out, that “you can take a stills camera up and adjust the position even without a gimbal, just the right-angled ball-mount on the top – preset, stick it up there and fire away.”

Of course, it’s not just creatives who can use a pole like this. It’s got obvious benefits for the likes of estate agents, property inspectors and security experts.

In his stellar career Rodney’s filmed around the world and understands the challenges of getting to the shoot as well as getting around on set. So to ensure you can use your Charters Pole on every production, there’s an even more compact version – small enough to fit inside a suitcase, but extendable to 4.35m.

The Charters Pole is designed for good rigidity even when fully extended, as even moderate weights can become very unstable when held at long distances. Some people have tried to jerry-rig boom and painter poles to accomplish these kinds of shots. Unlike these, the Charters Pole strikes exactly the right balance between portability and rigidity. Lightweight and compact when folded, it is still stable enough to get that once-in-a-lifetime shot.

The top of the pole has interchangeable 3/8” and 1/4” 20 threads so that you can fit a wide range of accessories securely. The pole also comes with quick release locks which can be easily tensioned, allowing faster, easier and safer extension and retraction – with no need for a tool.

For help turning his brainchild into reality, Rodney turned to accessory specialists Genus, well-known for their matte boxes, filters, jibs and support gear.

“I am excited to be working with Rodney on this project, which will allow so many professionals to try more creative photography,” said Anthony Wong, CEO of Genus.

Needless to say, it has undergone rigorous testing. Some well-known names have also been trying it out for themselves, including prominent YouTubers Kaiman Wong and Lok Cheung.

The production pole, extendable to 6m, is just 1.07m long when collapsed. The compact version, extendable to 4.35m, collapses down to just 0.79m.

Comments

You were at the hardware store and *didn’t* see the telescoping 12 foot painting extension pole *or* the pole for changing high ceiling light bulbs? I’ve been using those for Mic booms and raised cameras (when I don’t want to set up the Kessler) for years! Granted, this would be nice and light weight and telescopes down much farther, but the painting pole is only twenty bucks.